The Desk

What matters in Irish rugby right now

Updated 29 Oct 2026, 14:25 GMT

This week’s injuries

Ireland · Leinster · Munster · Connacht · Ulster · Tue 27 Oct

Ireland: the IRFU said Garry Ringrose (hamstring) “is unlikely to be involved in the forthcoming matches against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa in Dublin and will continue his rehabilitation with Leinster” (Tue 27 Oct). Jimmy O’Brien is on a graduated return after a concussion in Leinster v Munster (Sat 24 Oct), and Sam Prendergast (wrist) is continuing his rehab in camp, with no replacements called up. Munster will be without Shane Daly (concussion) and Seán O’Brien (groin) for the Sharks at Thomond Park on Sat 31 Oct (Munster, Tue 27 Oct). Ulster report no fresh injury concerns before the Stormers in Cape Town on Sat 31 Oct (Ulster, Mon 26 Oct), while Leinster and Connacht have published no new medical update since Mon 19 Oct.

Why it matters

Ireland look set to be without Ringrose from the Argentina Test in Dublin on Fri 6 Nov, and Munster go into the Sharks game two backs down.

IRFU · squad update · Munster Rugby · squad update · The42 · Cullen on Jimmy O’Brien

Connacht and Leinster 23s named: Boyle and Deegan captain as Larmour makes his season debut

Connacht · Leinster · Thu 29 Oct

Stuart Lancaster and Leo Cullen named their 23s on Thu 29 Oct for the URC Round 5 interpro at Dexcom Stadium on Fri 30 Oct (KO 19:45, TG4 and Premier Sports). Paul Boyle captains Connacht from number 8, Will Connors makes his first start for the club, and Niall Murray is on the bench in line for his 100th Connacht appearance; Harry West misses out through injury. Max Deegan captains Leinster from blindside and Jordan Larmour makes his season debut on the left wing, with Joey Carbery and Fintan Gunne at half-back. Academy centre Connor Fahy and prop Alex Mullan are in line for their first Leinster caps.

Why it matters

Leinster are sixth in the URC with 13 points after Round 4, three points and two places above Connacht, and Lancaster says 13 Connacht players are unavailable through Ireland duty and injury (Connacht, 29 Oct).

Connacht Rugby · team announcement · Leinster Rugby · team news · URC · broadcast

Ulster 23 named: McCann captains in Cape Town as Herring and Hume return from injury

Ulster · Thu 29 Oct

Richie Murphy has named Ulster’s 23 for the URC Round 5 game against the Stormers at DHL Stadium, Cape Town on Sat 31 Oct (KO 12:45 Irish, Premier Sports and URC.tv), Ulster said on Thu 29 Oct. Rob Herring and James Hume make their first appearances of the season after injury, Herring at hooker and Hume at outside centre with Ben Carson at 12. David McCann captains from openside, Cormac Izuchukwu moves to blindside and Juarno Augustus starts at number 8 against his former side. Zac Ward returns on the left wing, Michael Lowry moves to the right and Ethan McIlroy starts at full-back, with Matthew Devine and Jack Murphy at half-back.

Why it matters

Ulster are 13th in the URC with nine points and no league win from four games, and the Stormers are fourth with 16.

Ulster Rugby · team news

Munster 23 named: Wood makes his first start and Russell debuts as O’Donoghue captains against the Sharks

Munster · Thu 29 Oct

Clayton McMillan has named Munster’s 23 for the URC Round 5 game against the Sharks at Thomond Park on Sat 31 Oct (KO 17:30, Premier Sports), Munster said on Thu 29 Oct. Academy centre Gordon Wood makes his first Munster start on his fourth appearance, and Rob Russell, who has been training with the squad, makes his Munster debut on the wing. Jack O’Donoghue captains, JJ Hanrahan and Ben O’Donovan are the half-backs, and Evan O’Connell, Seán Edogbo and Brian Gleeson also come into the XV. Edwin Edogbo and Lee Barron are on the bench for their first appearances of the season after injury, and Jeremy Loughman is also among the replacements.

Why it matters

Munster are ninth in the URC with 10 points after Round 4, five behind the fifth-placed Sharks.

Munster Rugby · team news · URC · broadcast

STATUS

URC pictureLeinster 6th 13 · Connacht 8th 10 · Munster 9th 10 · Ulster 13th 9Tables →

Key outsOut at last check: Prendergast (Lei), Henderson (Uls), West (Con)+13 Ireland outs →

Abroad this weekendMadigan · Agen at Colomiers · Fri 18:00 Irish+29 more players →

Coming up

This week

Fri 30 Oct · 19:45 · Connacht v Leinster · Dexcom · TG4 / Premier Sports

Connacht: Boyle (c) 8 · Naughton 10 · Blade 9; Leinster: Deegan (c) 6 · Carbery 10 · Gunne 9

Both 23s named · Larmour back

CON Team news | LEI Team news | Where to watch

Sat 31 Oct · 12:45 · Stormers v Ulster · DHL Stadium · Premier Sports

McCann (c) · Murphy 10 · Devine 9 · Hume 13

23 named · Herring and Hume back

ULS Team news | Where to watch

Sat 31 Oct · 17:30 · Munster v Sharks · Thomond Park · Premier Sports

O’Donoghue (c) · O’Donovan and Hanrahan at half-back · Wood first start

23 named · Russell debut

MUN Team news | Where to watch

Next Ireland women

Sat 31 Oct · 13:00 Irish · South Africa v Ireland · Athlone Stadium, Cape Town · WXV

Next Ireland men

Fri 6 Nov · 20:10 · Ireland v Argentina · Aviva Stadium

VMTV / ITV | Where to watch

Bulls 34–26 Ulster: Mullins scores twice but a 21–0 start leaves Ulster without a URC win

Ulster · Sat 24 Oct

Ulster lost 34–26 to the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday 24 October after trailing 21–0. Marcell Coetzee scored twice and Elrigh Louw once for the Bulls, before Chay Mullins replied for a 21–7 half-time score. David McCann, Mullins again and Stuart McCloskey scored after the break for a try bonus point, but Curwin Bosch’s penalty with the last play took the gap to eight and denied Ulster a losing bonus point (URC match centre / BBC Sport, 24 Oct).

Why it matters

Ulster are 13th on nine points after two draws and two defeats, and stay in South Africa to face the Stormers at the DHL Stadium on Sat 31 Oct (URC table, 25 Oct).

URC match centre · BBC Sport · report · Ulster Rugby · report · RTÉ Sport · report · The42 · report · The42 · reaction

Leinster 24–18 Munster: three second-half tries turn a 13–5 half-time deficit into a bonus-point win

Leinster · Munster · Sat 24 Oct

Leinster beat Munster 24–18 at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 24 October after trailing 13–5 at half-time. Shane Daly’s try and two Charlie O’Shea penalties had Munster 13–0 up after half an hour, before Tommy O’Brien scored for Leinster. Ryan Baird, Charlie Tector and Jamie Osborne scored in the second half, Tector’s try (64’) coming while Alex Nankivell was in the sin bin, and Ben O’Connor’s try in added time earned Munster a losing bonus point (URC match centre, 24 Oct). Daly was stretchered off in the second half, and Clayton McMillan did not expect him back for a while (The42, 24 Oct).

Why it matters

After Round 4 Leinster are 6th on 13 points and go to Connacht on Fri 30 Oct; Munster are 9th on 10 and host the Sharks at Thomond Park on Sat 31 Oct (URC table, 25 Oct).

URC match centre · RTÉ Sport · report · Munster Rugby · report · BBC Sport · report · The42 · report · The42 · McMillan on Daly · The42 · Cullen on Sheehan at 8

Connacht 48–27 Zebre Parma: eight tries and a bonus point lift Connacht to sixth in the URC

Connacht · Fri 23 Oct

Connacht beat Zebre Parma 48–27 at the Dexcom Stadium on Friday 23 October, scoring eight tries to five. Finlay Bealham, Sean Jansen, Cathal Forde and Sam Gilbert had the bonus point by the 23rd minute, and Cian Prendergast’s try made it 33–17 at half-time. Replacement Dave Heffernan scored twice and Harry West once after the break, with Ciarán Frawley converting four, while Zebre’s five tries earned them a bonus point (URC match centre, 23 Oct).

Why it matters

The win lifts Connacht from 14th to sixth in the URC on 10 points from four games, and Leinster are next, at the Dexcom Stadium on Friday 30 October (URC table, 23 Oct).

URC match centre · BBC Sport · report · RTÉ Sport · report · The42 · report

Irish abroad: Loughnane and Joshua Brennan score as Treadwell and MacGinty start Premiership wins

ABROAD · Sun 25 Oct

Ronan Loughnane started at hooker and scored a try in Aurillac’s 41–16 Pro D2 win over Nevers on Fri 23 Oct, a game in which Liam Turner started at centre for Nevers. Joshua Brennan started at lock and scored as Toulouse beat Perpignan 38–33 in the Top 14 on Sat 24 Oct. In the Premiership, AJ MacGinty started at out-half in Bristol’s 20–7 win over Exeter Chiefs (Sat 24 Oct) and Kieran Treadwell started at lock as Harlequins beat Saracens 33–15 (Sun 25 Oct). John McKee started at hooker in the Scarlets’ 52–40 defeat by the Stormers, Daniel Brennan started for Montauban in a 24–23 win over Oyonnax, and Eoghan Barrett started on the wing as Soyaux-Angoulême beat Dax 49–7.

Why it matters

Eight players on the Abroad tracker started from Thu 22 to Sun 25 Oct, and six of them finished on the winning side.

LNR Pro D2 · Aurillac v Nevers · LNR Top 14 · Toulouse v Perpignan · Bristol Bears · report · Harlequins · report · LNR Pro D2 · Montauban v Oyonnax · LNR Pro D2 · Soyaux-Angoulême v Dax · URC match centre · Stormers v Scarlets · All Irish players abroad → Abroad

South Africa name 37 for Dublin without Kolbe, Etzebeth and Pollard

Ireland · Wed 28 Oct

Rassie Erasmus named a 37-man Springbok squad on Wednesday 28 October for the second leg of the Nations Championship, which includes South Africa v Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 21 November (SA Rugby, The42). Injury keeps Cheslin Kolbe, Eben Etzebeth, Andre Esterhuizen and Handre Pollard out, and six uncapped players are in: Yaqeen Ahmed, Sebastian de Klerk, Luan Giliomee, Markus Muller, Riley Norton and Emmanuel Tshituka.

Why it matters

South Africa are Ireland’s third November opponent, after Argentina (Fri 6 Nov) and Fiji (Sat 14 Nov), and play Italy (Sat 7 Nov) and France (Fri 13 Nov) first. Leinster lock RG Snyman was already ruled out with a knee (ACL) injury (The42).

SA Rugby · RTÉ · The42

Ireland squad: Sheehan to captain as Ulster’s Benson and McNabney get first call-ups

Ireland · Wed 21 Oct

Andy Farrell has named a 36-man squad, 19 forwards and 17 backs, for Ireland’s Nations Championship games at the Aviva Stadium against Argentina (Fri 6 Nov, 20:10 Irish), Fiji (Sat 14 Nov, 20:10) and South Africa (Sat 21 Nov, 16:40), the IRFU announced on Wednesday 21 Oct. Dan Sheehan captains the squad, and Ulster’s Jamie Benson and James McNabney are the two uncapped players. Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird and Mack Hansen are back after missing the June tour squad, and Jamison Gibson-Park is included.

Why it matters

Jack Boyle, Harry Byrne, Jack Conan, Jack Crowley, Caelan Doris, Iain Henderson, Paddy McCarthy, Calvin Nash and Bryn Ward were not considered because of injury (IRFU, 21 Oct). Leinster have 17 players in the squad, Ulster nine, Connacht eight and Munster two.

IRFU squad announcement · RTÉ Sport · BBC Sport · Irish Independent Paywall · Irish Examiner Paywall

Beirne: IRFU contract option decision after the 2027 Six Nations

Ireland · Munster · Thu 15 Oct

Tadhg Beirne’s IRFU national contract runs until the end of the 2027 World Cup and includes an optional extension clause that either the IRFU or the player can decline to trigger, The42 reports. He expects clarity after the 2027 Six Nations and says his focus for now is Munster and Ireland. Beirne started 10 of Ireland’s 12 Tests last season. On the law tweaks, he told the Irish Times that “the dark arts are slowly going out of the game”.

Why it matters

Ireland have him through the 2027 World Cup either way; the option decides whether his IRFU deal goes any further, and neither side has to trigger it.

The42 · Beirne clause · Irish Times · law tweaks Paywall

Clermont 23–48 Leinster: Sheehan scores twice as seven tries turn a 16–15 half-time deficit into a bonus-point win

Leinster · Sat 17 Oct

Leinster came from 16–15 down at half-time to win 48–23 in Clermont with a bonus point on Saturday 17 October. Tadhg Furlong and Dan Sheehan scored first-half tries, but Harry Plummer’s three penalties and Joris Jurand’s converted try had Clermont in front at the break. Sam Prendergast crossed a minute after the restart and Leinster never trailed again. A penalty try, a second for Sheehan and tries from Jack Conan and Tommy O’Brien made it seven tries to two (EPCR match centre / BBC Sport, 17 Oct).

Why it matters

The bonus point puts Leinster top of Champions Cup Pool 1 on five points, and Munster are next, in the URC at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 24 October (EPCR pool table, 17 Oct).

EPCR match centre · BBC Sport · RTÉ Sport · report · Irish Times · Prendergast Paywall

Connacht 45–36 Saracens: Prendergast and Frawley score twice as seven tries bring a Champions Cup win in Galway

Connacht · Sat 17 Oct

Connacht beat Saracens 45–36 at the Dexcom Stadium on Saturday 17 October, scoring seven tries to six. Cian Prendergast, Cathal Forde and Shamus Hurley-Langton crossed in the first half, but Nick Tompkins’ converted try on the stroke of half-time left it 19–19 at the break. Prendergast scored again six minutes after the restart, Ciaran Frawley went over twice and Caolin Blade added another, with Sam Gilbert kicking five conversions. Hurley-Langton and Prendergast were both sin-binned, and Elliot Daly scored Saracens’ sixth try in the 79th minute (EPCR match centre, 17 Oct).

Why it matters

The win puts Connacht second in Champions Cup Pool 2 on four points, behind La Rochelle, and Zebre Parma are next, in the URC at the Dexcom Stadium on Friday 23 October (EPCR pool table, 17 Oct).

EPCR match centre · RTÉ Sport · report · The42 · Frawley · Irish Independent · Frawley Paywall · RTÉ Sport · Lancaster · Irish Times · Lancaster Paywall

Munster 33–25 Racing 92: Gleeson, McCarthy, Beirne, Wycherley and Casey score as five tries bring a Champions Cup win in Cork

Munster · Sat 17 Oct

Munster beat Racing 92 33–25 at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday 17 October, scoring five tries to three. Brian Gleeson and Shay McCarthy scored inside 12 minutes, both converted by Charlie O’Shea, and Munster led 14–6 at half-time. Tadhg Beirne scored two minutes after the break, converted by O’Shea, before Racing hit back through Wilfried Hulleu and Maxime Machenaud to close to 21–18. Fineen Wycherley’s try, converted by JJ Hanrahan, restored a ten-point lead, and Joey Manu’s try, with Antoine Gibert’s second conversion, made it 28–25. Racing’s Arthur Roche was yellow-carded on 70 minutes, and Craig Casey’s try two minutes from time sealed it (EPCR match centre, 17 Oct).

Why it matters

The win puts Munster second in Champions Cup Pool 3 on four points, behind the Stormers, and Leinster are next, in the URC at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 24 October (EPCR pool table, 17 Oct).

EPCR match centre · Munster Rugby · report · RTÉ Sport · O’Donoghue · Irish Independent Paywall · Irish Examiner · Casey Paywall · Irish Times · Walsh Paywall · Irish Examiner · McMillan Paywall · Independent · McMillan Paywall

South Africa 27–40 Ireland: Djougang scores twice as six tries win the first Test in Cape Town

Ireland · Women · Sat 24 Oct

Ireland beat South Africa 40–27 at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday 24 October, scoring six tries to five in the first of two WXV Global Series Tests. Aoife Dalton, Linda Djougang and Jane Clohessy scored for a 21–17 half-time lead, and Beibhinn Parsons, captain Erin King and Djougang again scored after the break, with Dannah O’Brien converting five. King (24’) and Eve Higgins (67’) were both sin-binned (World Rugby match centre / BBC Sport, 24 Oct).

Why it matters

The sides meet again at the Athlone Stadium on Sat 31 Oct (13:00 Irish), Ireland’s last game of the WXV Global Series (BBC Sport, 24 Oct).

World Rugby match centre · BBC Sport · report · RTÉ Sport · report · The42 · report

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